Slit518
Adventurer
One of my favorite ways to challenge my players is an NPC party vs their party.
This tends to work no matter what level the party is, because as the DM, you decide when and how to implement the NPC party, and attempt to match the players' power.
You make the characters around the same level, you have the party size be around the same, stat distribution just like how you had your players do it, and equipment optimal for the level, with optional magic items or two.
This tends to pose a good challenge for the players, and they feel really rewarded when they win.
In this, expect at least a player or two to go down, not necessarily die, but go down.
The first time I did it I had a Ranger, Fighter, Barbarian, Sorcerer, and Cleric face off against the players' Bard, Thief, Sorcerer, Cleric, Monk, Barbarian (the two Barbarians had a test or Strength).
The second time I did it I had an Assassin, Necromancer, Oathbreaker Paladin, and Death Cleric face off against the players' Bard, Warlock, Barbarian, Barbarian.
The first game was 2e, the second one was 5e. There are probably other instances of party vs party that I remember, but these ones stuck out the most. That, and I don't want to over use that plot point.
This tends to work no matter what level the party is, because as the DM, you decide when and how to implement the NPC party, and attempt to match the players' power.
You make the characters around the same level, you have the party size be around the same, stat distribution just like how you had your players do it, and equipment optimal for the level, with optional magic items or two.
This tends to pose a good challenge for the players, and they feel really rewarded when they win.
In this, expect at least a player or two to go down, not necessarily die, but go down.
The first time I did it I had a Ranger, Fighter, Barbarian, Sorcerer, and Cleric face off against the players' Bard, Thief, Sorcerer, Cleric, Monk, Barbarian (the two Barbarians had a test or Strength).
The second time I did it I had an Assassin, Necromancer, Oathbreaker Paladin, and Death Cleric face off against the players' Bard, Warlock, Barbarian, Barbarian.
The first game was 2e, the second one was 5e. There are probably other instances of party vs party that I remember, but these ones stuck out the most. That, and I don't want to over use that plot point.